


My boyfriend who lives in canada

by moomin (kokuchim)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Convenience Store, Alternate Universe - High School, Donghyuck is a Compulsive Liar, Donghyuck lies about having a boyfriend named mark who lives in canada, Fluff and Humor, Lee Taeyong and Donghyuck are related okay, M/M, Mark is an innocent boy who just gets tangled up in a lie, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, can you just imagine the family dynamic, guys i am living, he also lowkey likes donghyuck, he didnt actually think he was real
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-01-08 14:46:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12256488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kokuchim/pseuds/moomin
Summary: Liar liar pants on fire, Donghyuck.Or the fic wherein donghyuck lies a lot about having a boyfriend and didnt actually think the boy existed





	1. In which Donghyuck digs his coffin

**Author's Note:**

> I'm an old person and I was alive when the trope "girlfriend who lives in canada" was a huge thing. So everyone, blame Mark Lee who helped me recall days of old and Donghyuck who has triggered Mark's romantic interest. Lowkey shipping them. Lowkey.

The first lie, wasn't really, even technically a lie. In its essence, it was a "deflection" he neither confirmed nor denied it. Donghyuck merely bended the truth a little. 

 

Jaemin had asked him, "Have you ever fallen in love Donghyuck?" Wiping tears from his eyes as the ending credits to Jun Ji Hyun's epic movie, " _My Sassy Girl"_ starts to roll. 

 

Seriously, Donghyuck is just 16 years old. The closest thing he has ever gotten to experiencing love is reading the trashy romance novels he keeps hidden in the loose springboard under his bed that he _"borrows"_ from the neighborhood ajumma for shits and giggles. He's the byproduct of a nasty divorce where both parents didn't want him. He lives with his aunt at their organic farm. He's pretty sure, if this was a pop quiz, there would be no answer he could even bullshit. 

 

Seeing that Jaemin is emotional and really sensitive right now, Donghyuck decides to be the bigger person. Instead of giving him the scathing comeback he deserves, Donghyuch merely give him a meaningful glance that lasts all of five seconds before he turns away. 

 

You see, Donghyuck in all of his infinite wisdom decided at that moment to keep his mouth shut, pat Jaemin's back and turn away to face the wall. He doesn't see Jaemin's puzzled face thinking that Donghyuck was hiding something. He doesn't actually realize that he looked like he was hiding a secret. Not that he actually had any deep dark secrets. 

 

That was his first mistake.

 

\--

 

Donghyuck's second mistake is telling Jeno that he didn't find Kang Seulgi all that beautiful. 

 

It's summer.

 

There they were, two healthy, young and hot-blooded males hanging about by the poolside. The sun shines brightly above, the heat searing into their skin as they take turns diving and tackling each other in chlorinated public water to cool down. Once he feels exhausted enough from all the water dunking and coin fishing, Donghyuck finds himself floating. He tries to zone out and ignore all the heat and the probably sun burn slowly manifesting itself skin layer by skin layer to gaze at the cerulean sky. It was a cloudless sky and the blue made it magical. 

 

He tries to drown out the noises of the other children who have come to the public pool with  their families. He still can't help the small twinge of bitterness in his heart when he hears carefree laughter emanating from the family somewhere to his right. He can't remember the last time he spent any time with his family either after they left him with his aunt.  

 

Annoyed, Donghyuch dives underwater to drown the sound out. He wades his way towards the deeper end where he sees Jeno sneakily stealing gazes at Kang Seulgi, a senior at the all-girls catholic school on the east side of town. 

 

Itching to release some pent up tension, Donghyuck decides to play a prank. Submerging himself again, he positions himself near Jeno's feet and quickly wraps a tanned hand around the boys ankle giving it a harsh tug. Jeno lets out an unmanly and definitely uncool shout of surprise before falling backwards into the water. 

 

Donghyuck laughs as he sees Seulgi giving them a knowing smile that she hides behind her hand. _Donghyuck - 1, Jeno - 0._ The boy has had enough of Jeno's posturing and pretending to be cool. Times like this he wishes Jaemin didn't have a dentist appointment today so he coukd have come with them to the pool. Obviously he would have knocked some sense into the latter. 

 

"You are such an asshole!"

 

Donghyuck merely snickers as he brings a finger to his lips. "Shh! There are children around _family-friendly Jeno_."

 

Several parents gives them pointed glances at the taller boy's outburst. Chastised, Jeno drags Donghyuck away to a more isolated area of the public pool. "What the fuck was that about? Seulgi-ssi was totally checking me out!"

 

Donghyuck snorts. "As if! In your dreams, Jeno."

 

"Did too!"

 

"Did not!"

 

"Did absolutely too!"

 

Donghyuck makes bubbles under the water. He's getting tired of this conversation. It's obviously quite beneath him. He can feel his brain cells depleting by the minute and he still needs those for all the calculus homework he left untouched on his desk since the start of summer. He's pretty sure Jaemin would let him copy off him if he grovels on his knees anyways. It's not like he's a prideful person.

 

"She's not even that pretty, " Donghyuck mumbles to himself. 

 

Unfortunately Jeno overhears this and pokes him in the ribs. "Dude are you fucking _blind?_ She's friends with Joohyun-sunbae! I dont think they hang out with people who arent even on the same level of pretty as them. _What gives?"_

 

"I just dont see whats so special about her? I mean, I get it, she's pretty. Aesthetically. Okay, but so what? I'm not gonna waste my time making stupid heart eyes at her all summer."

 

"If you haven't had your sexual awakening even by gazing at the goddess that is Kang Seulgi then you obviously mean that Joohyun Sunbae is the best!"

 

Donghyuck stares at Jeno with empty eyes. "Not even her."

 

"Tzuyu?"

 

"Jeez, Jeno not everyone is into girls."

 

Donghyuck scoffs and continues to make bubbles in the water. He's probably said enough and he really is tired. His fingers are already turning into raisins.

 

Jeno wraps an arm around him before placing his forehead against his. Odd behavior for a boy who doesn't necessarily initiate skinship, Donghyuck thinks. A dangerous situation then. "You better have a good fucking explanation for this Jeno. Five seconds before I twist your nipples."

 

" _Do you like boys_?" Jeno asks seriously, for once he's not being a total douche and fucking around. Finally, he gets it. There's hope for Jaemin yet. 

 

"What's not to love?" Is Donghyuck's way of a non-answer. 

 

That was the second mistake. 

 

\--

 

 

The final nail in the coffin takes place seven days after the ill-fated trip to the pool. Donghyuck is currently manning the convenience store front, leisurely leafing through a Cosmopolitan back-issue when Renjun sidles up the counter and disrupts the peace. "Didn't you see the sign? It says 'No Loitering'."

 

" _There is literally no one here convenience store-hyung_."

 

"There's a camera now," Donghyuck lies. There was in fact no camera. The convenience store where he works barely even has a functioning air conditioning unit and with the heat of the summer sun, the humidity its practically nonexistent. Hell, he even had to turn on the electric fan to face him just so he wouldn't die of heatstroke. Every source of carbon dioxide not coming from his person is a threat to his body temperature and Renjun's presence while appreciated was not exactly _welcome_  at the current time. He could have dropped by at the end of the shift but _no._  

 

"I didn't think ajumma can afford a new camera after Jisungie broke it with the football last month."

 

Donghyuck pauses in leafing through his magazine to level the boy a ' _look_.' Renjun merely cocks a well-placed brow, not really intimidated. Given enough exposure, Donghyuck's glares wasn't as effective. 

 

"Buy something or get out."

 

Renjun immediately goes to browse the aisles for some chips. Donghyuck resumes reading his magazine getting rather engrossed about _12 secret tips to be a better kisser._ Not that he had anyone to practice with. He decides that he can file the knowledge for future use. Renjun comes back with an armful of snacks and banana milk that Donghyuck dutifully scans in the machine. "That will be 6000 won, cash or credit?" 

 

Renjun rummages his pocket for his credit card while Donghyuck places them neatly inside a brown paper pag to the side. While he busies himself with handling the chinese boy's transaction, Renjun pops in a straw to drink his banana milk. "Taeyong-sunbae works with you right?"

 

Donghyuck merely nods, handing him back his card. "Why isn't he here then?"

 

An innocent enough question with an easy enough answer. "Well he's on a date with Jaehyun-hyung."

 

Renjun's eyes bulge in surprise. " _No way_. Since when have they been dating?"

 

"Since last month thats when."

 

"Did they tell you? How did you even know?! _Taeyong-hyung likes his secrets, its why his eyes are so big_. _It's full of secrets._ "

 

Donghyuck smiles cockily and motions Renjun to come closer. " _They didn't have to_. Jaehyun-hyung came here a month ago in disguise to buy two bottles of blueberry lube and three boxes of ribbed size XL condoms. Sicheng-hyung was manning the storefront. They didn't see me hiding behind aisle 3 sorting the juice boxes in place. That was all the evidence I needed."

 

" _Holy shit! Who do you think tops?"_

 

"I highly doubt Taeyong hyung's dick would fit in size XL condoms so connect the dots smartass!" Donghyuck shudders to think about his cousin's extra-curricular activities. While he was happy that he's finally gotten some action there are things that he just doesn't want to know. Plausible deniability.  

 

"Besides, I don't want to talk about my cousin's sex life with you. I have more important things to read." Donghyuck drawls as he goes back to reading his Cosmo. Apparently it's import to inhale when your kisisng partner exhales for a better overall experience. 

 

The chinese boy pulls the Cosmo away with a huff. Donghyuck tries to be a little miffed, he thinks he can do annoyed even under this weather. _He was slightly invested in the article. He was investing in his future._

 

"Well aren't you rude! This is the last time I'm divulging state secrets to you!"

 

Renjun chortles at the article, giving him a judgemental side eye. " _12 ways to be a better kisser_? Really? It's not as if you have someone to practice on."

 

"Says who? I might have someone on the side! You'd never know!" Donghyuck fights back.

 

"Fine! Let's pretend you are telling the truth. Is it a girl?"

 

Donghyuck crosses his arms and cocks a lazy brow at the younger boy, hiding behind a smirk. It was too much fun to rattle the younger boy and besides, it was annoying that everyone seems to think that he won't even be able to land a date. Donghyuck has some amount of pride in his genes thank you very much. He also would like to set some things straight, but not blatantly of course. Can't have that. 

 

"Do you really think I would have a _girlfriend,_ Renjun?" He asks, making sure to put some level of emphasis on "girlfriend." A Donghyuck that likes girls, is probably a crazy Donghyuck that lives in a terrible parrallel universe. 

 

Renjun gasps. "Are you telling me you have a _boyfriend?"_

 

Lee Donghyuck merely grins as he grabs his magazine back to finish reading his article. 

 

 

\--

 

Over the next couple of weeks Jeno, Jaemin and Renjun pester him repeatedly to tell them more about his non-existent boyfriend. Most of the time, Donghyuck is able to dodge them with non-answers or annoyed glares of death but there are occasions where they just wouldn't _fucking quit._ If Donghyuck actually owned a phone he imagines it would be ringing non-stop until he caves in. He's never going to give them that chance. They would mock him until the end of time. 

 

So he starts to lie. They start off small and insignificant. Little white lies, until he realizes he has to get a little bit more creative just to get them to stop asking more questions. Attempts at describing him are mostly generic things he asked Naver about that would mostly describe any Korean boy their age. Creative, but not stupid enough that they would be able to weed through or take it upon themselves to figure out who Donghyuck is interested in.

 

They ask him, "How did you meet?"

 

He tells them, " _He's a boy. We met online. We bonded over Overwatch. He plays McCree. We've never met before, it's just a stupid online thing. We just flirt back and forth. It's not really serious."_  

 

They ask him, "What does he look like?"

 

 He tells them, " _He says that he's taller than me but I don't really believe him. I saw his face when we skyped once. He has black hair and he has a nice laugh. He doesn't speak korean very well so you can just imagine how terrible my jokes and grammar is. It's really nothing serious. He's just some stupid online boyfriend. Okay, not really stupid but it's not serious at all._ "

 

They ask him, "What's his name? Is he from America?"

 

So Donghyuck tells the worst lie he has ever told. In retrospect if he had actually thought that it would bite him in the ass, he would have kept his mouth shut. But Donghyuck is seventeen years old, high off a stupid, elaborate prank he's trying to pull and doesn't think straight. 

 

He tells them, " _He told me his name was Mark. He doesn't live in the US, he lives in Canada._ " 

 


	2. In which, Donghyuck meets a boy named Minhyung and tries not to develop a crush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lee Donghyuck meets Lee Minhyung. He doesn't speak a lick of Korean, figures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thanks to everyone who took the time to comment and leave kudos on the fic?! I'm just overwhelmed? Also I just wanted to address the fact that a lot of you guys did tell me that I left "hyung" even if Renjun and Donghyuck are same 2000-liners and guys I know? The line was actually supposed to say "convenience store hyung" but AO3 was messing up my formatting and I didn't beta read it I didn't notice the discrepancy. Needless to say! It's all fixed now. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy some fluff! Italics mean that they're speaking English and non-italics means that they're speaking korean. Let's just all assume that Mark is a foreigner alright?

 

There is a new family in town.

 

Donghyuck knows this for a fact because this town is small and rural, there's not a lot to see here but farmland and that International School that got set-up a few towns away in the main city. Donghyuck hears its famous but knows that he's never gonna be able to afford to go there. He’s home schooled for a reason.

 

He also knows this because he's seeing the family's youngest son browsing through the aisles for food, looking increasingly perplexed. Donghyuck would help him, but he's too amused by the boy's facial expressions. He could probably read hangul right? _Not like it matters._

 

Donghyuck flips his newest issue of cosmopolitan. He's pretty interested in their recommendations for sexy mood music. _Trey Songz, The Weeknd, Solange, Donna Summer_? The closest thing to a sensual song he's heard on the radio was _EXID's Velvet_ and that was saying something. He's never heard of anyone on the list but he'll be damned if he doesn't try listening to them when he heads over to the PC Bang  later this week to send in his summer homework. Stupid Calculus. Stupid Trigonometry. Stupid Jaemin and his puppy dog eyes, gnawing and Donghyuck’s self-conscience. 

 

_"Excuse me?"_

 

Donghyuck ignores him. Let him wait a while. Mostly so he can hear him speak korean and fail. Donghyuck knows he's mean and petty like that. He never did say that he was a paragon of justice, love and beauty. Although he would fight you for beauty. He wasn’t born with this face for no reason.

 

" _Shit, do you uhh do you speak English?"_

 

Donghyuck takes pity on him and punches in the pack of ramyun, banana milk and honey butter chips on the counter. He points on the machine and says, "It'll be 12,000 won. Cash or Credit" in the best Seoul accent he could do. Donghyuck never said he could speak English and if he tried he would look stupid. He liked to stick to his guns, thank you very much. If it meant the foreigner had to suffer, then suffer the consequences he should.

 

_"I'm sorry what?"_

 

Donghyuck sighs. Mimes getting his wallet and giving him money to pay for the food. He wouldn't have been this patient if the new guy didn't have a nice smile. He looked cute and adorable. His seagull eyebrows scrunching in the middle is very entertaining. He fights to keep his face neutral.

 

" _Okay but like, I only have 20,000 won. Do you have change?"_

 

Sighing, Dongyhuck grabs the money and punches in the button to open the cash register and give the boy his change.

 

"Honestly, if you weren't cute I wouldn't be this patient with you," he says fully knowing the boy wouldn't be able to understand him. He spares a glance at the boy and tries not to smirk, "it's quite obvious you're very new here in town and if I had to warrant a guess you're probably gonna study in that international school in the city right?"

 

He starts to pack the goods inside a small, brown paper bag. “You guys seem like you’re loaded. Your brother came by here a few days ago and met Jaehyun-hyung. They seemed to get along well, of course my cousin was slightly jealous but he seemed like an alright guy.”

 

Donghyuck looks at him through his peripheral vision.

 

New boy, his ever attentive audience merely gulps and tries to look like he understands what Donghyuck is talking about but failing.  _This just keeps getting better and better._ “You and your brother don’t seem to look alike, but hey? What do I care am I right?”

 

The boy merely nods, looking increasingly alarmed at the amount of korean he’s hearing.

 

Taking pity, he hands the boy his change and ruffles his head, giving his best grandma-wooing smile. The boy seems taken aback, and Donghyuck preens at this. He hadn't perfected this over the years of only for it to fail and get him in trouble he probably deserved. 

 

"Here's your change, have a nice day!" 

 

The boy merely nods, gathers his things and moves to the exit. Donghyuck merely goes back to reading his cosmo, watching the boy as he leaves in his peripheral vision. _Well, well, well did he have a nice ass as well._ Donghyuck would like to personally thank the gods above for at least blessing this bumbling new guy a decent fashion sense and good choice in jeans. _It is impeccable._ Donghyuck feels refreshed, his skin healthy, his crops watered.

 

The new guy having stopped to turn back, looks at Donghyuck one last time as if struggling to decide on the best course of action.

 

"Need anything else?" Donghyuck drawls, propping his face on his chin. He can't even hide the shit-eating grin in his face when the new guy flushes scarlet. _He shoots and he scores,_ Donghyuck thinks. _He's still got it._ Not that he had any previous gaming experience outside of a keyboard. The problems of being born in a countryside and conservative country.

 

" _I'll uhh...be back! Thanks for helping me!_ K-k-kamsamida?"

 

Donghyuck barks out a small laugh and leans over the counter, " _Kamsahamnida"_ he says slowly for the boy to copy.

 

Nodding, he bows slightly before repeating them in accented korean, " _kamsahamnida, Hee-chun? No! NO! Kamsahamnida Hee….uhhh… Haechan?"_

 

 _So he really could read hangul,_  Donghyuck thinks as he waves the boy off before returning to his magazine. 

 

He hopes the boy might wander around again this part of town soon. 

 

_\--_

 

The second time Donghyuck meets the "new boy" he's carefully unloading a box of new snacks from the delivery truck when he walks in. He's wearing a tommy hilfigger sweater and ripped jeans with a nice black cap. He goes straight to the counter only to be confused when Sicheng is manning the storefront. 

 

Ever the nosey and meddling person that he is, Donghyuck decides to eavesdrop on the conversation. 

 

"Uhh... Eo-di-e-so? Hae-Haechan?" The boy asks slowly in accented korean. Sicheng smiles and tells him, _"I can speak English."_

 

The boy laughs. _He seems relieved,_ thinks Donghyuck as he starts to unbox the new shipment with a boxcutter. He’s gotta look busy in front of them, less suspicious this way. Let it be known to the world that Ramyun snacks are actually pretty goddamn heavy when boxed in bulk. His hands were aching. But still, he persevered.

 

" _That's great! Haechan didn't speak English? He doesn't speak English?"_

 

_"No, he doesn't. He only speaks korean."_

 

_"Oh, umm where is he?"_

 

_"Why do you want to know? Did he bother you? I can talk to him if he was rude to you."_

 

Donghyuck struggles to even understand the topic of conversation that is happening. He suddenly resents the fact that he didn't study hard enough to learn english before. It would have been really helpful in this situation. 

 

" _He's my age and I was...wondering if he would like to hang out with me. I'm new here."_

 

Donghyuck hears Sicheng laugh and feels annoyed. Why couldn't he have been the one to man the storefront today of all days, he thinks furiously as he works to arrange the packets of instant noodles on aisle 3. He gets too engrossed in making sure that they are all sorted by color, spicyness and brand that he jolts in surprise when a hand taps him on the shoulder. Wheeling around, he can't help the surprised gasp that leaves his mouth seeing the new guy. 

 

" _I practiced a lot! Wait what was hello again..._ A-anyeonghaseyo?" 

 

Donghyuck merely blinks in confusion. Why was he saying hello to him. Not wanting to seem rude, he returns the greeting with a slight bow. 

 

" _Okay! Cool! We're understanding each other."_ The boy says in quick English, Donghyuck wasn't even able to comprehend. While he would admit that he's a huge fan of Michael Jackson, Donghyuck unfortunately does not have the language proficiency to actually understand or speak it. It's not like he has any real practice working here in the countryside at the convenience store when not tilling the field of their strawberry farm. 

 

"Whats your name?"

 

Deciding to be a little shit, Donghyuck points at his nametag. The new boy scratches his head in frustration. "Sicheng said its not uhhhh real name?" The boy nods, as if happy with his attempt at speaking korean. "Whats your name?" He asks again, wiping sweaty palms on his really nice jeans.  _What a waste._

 

"Why do you wanna know?" Donghyuck asks pointedly. If this boy is going to learn how to speak it, he likes to think he’ll give him a run for his money. See? Kindness. From the bottom of his deep, black heart.

 

" _I did not understand that”_ The boy whines. He scratches his head _. “_ Whats your name?" He tries again. 

 

"Why." Donghyuck asks again. Surely this boy can recognize a question if he can ask one. 

 

" _Oh! You're asking me why! Okay okay, uhhh...."_ The boy seems excited for some reason and seems to wrack his brain for a way to reply. Dongyhuck, ever patient and virtuous, waits. The remaining boxes of instant noodles can wait until he finishes this conversation with the cute guy. 

The customer comes first and all that.

 

 _"I want to be friends."_  The cute boy says, a dimple emerging in his cheeks. Donghyuck resists the urge to poke it. He feels slightly disheartened that the boy probably wasn't well, _gay_ , but not totally out of the realm of possibility. There was honestly a severe lack of handsome, unattached men here in their community.

 

_"Why?"_

 

The cute guy blushes. Donghyuck tries not to coo at how cute he's being. 

 

"Friends....I don't have? Chingu-eopsoyeu? Eopseoyo!"

 

Donghyuck stares at the boy, appreciating the amount of effort he's exerting just so they can become friends. It warmed Donghyuck's stone cold heart slightly. Not enough to thaw it completely though. He likes to maintain a cool guy image. 

 

 _"_ Okay, let's be friends."

 

_"Is that korean for yes?"_

 

Donghyuck sighs and lifts Mark's hand to twine pinky fingers with him. Talking slowly as if he was conversing with one of his very young nieces he says, " _Yes, friends."_  

 

The boy visibly brightens and smiles. Donghyuck notes its a nice smile. Wide but not too wide, with a string of pearly white teeth with what Donghyuck thinks is done with an impeccable dental health care plan. He smiles back before letting go and returning to his job. He is almost done with the sorting anyways. 

 

Glancing at the clock, Donghyuck sees that his shift is almost over and notices that the boy is shifting awkwardly from side to side. He mimes for the boy to help him sort the snacks and he nods in understanding. Bending over to reach the potato chips and put them neatly on the rack. Donghyuck hums in approval, he's always appreciated people who catch on quick. 

 

They spend the remaining thirty minutes of Donghyuck's shift emptying and sorting boxes into their proper places. After they had finished storing all of the necessary items, Donghyuck carries the boxes to the back, changes out of his work shirt and makes sure to clock out. He leaves 500 won on the counter and picks out two watermelon flavored ice creams from the cooler.

 

He motions for the city boy to come closer and hands him one. 

 

Let it never be said that Donghyuck does not realize or appreciate help when given. "For helping me out." Donghyuck says when the boy gives him a puzzled look. 

 

Smiling gratefully the boy digs in the cold, sugary snack. " _I've never had watermelon ice cream before,"_ the boy says. "Thank you....?"

 

"Lee Donghyuck."

 

" _Thank you Lee_!"

 

Donghyuck shakes his head. Foreign boys, they always say their names backwards, how odd.  "Thank you, Donghyuck," he corrects patiently. 

 

Mark smiles and repeats after him, "Thank you Donghyuck." The way the boy's mouth curls against the syllables of his name makes the boy in question look away. He can feel his face heating up and moves to walk faster in front. 

 

"Minhyung," the boy says suddenly, making Donghyuck glance back at him. 

 

" _My korean name is Lee Minhyung,_ " the boy explains. 

 

Smiling, Donghyuck puts out a hand for Minhyung to shake. "Nice to meet you, Minhyung." 

 

The boy clasps his hand and gives it a firm shake, face turned into a mega-watt smile. Donghyuck feels faint. It's taking all of his willpower, not to break image and seem cool and calm and collected. You know, like he isn't totally losing his shit right now in the wake of Lee Minhyung's adorable foreign-ness.

 

"Nice to meet you too Donghyuck."

 

\--

 

Lee Minhyung, Donghyuck finds out is actually a pretty nice boy afterall. 

 

He always tries to be respectful of others and does his best to study korean so that he can have more meaningful conversations with Donghyuck that weren't limited to asking him about the weather and whether the food was spicy. Apparently, the boy doesn't really like strong-tasting food. 

 

In turn, Donghyuck tries to brush up on as much English as he can remember from middle school classes that went past, " _My name is Lee Donghyuck, I am Korean," "How are you?"_ and _"I'm fine thank you and you?"_ It isn't easy. He admits he's never been much of an academic. It also doesn't help that he hasn't applied himself as much before, a silent rebellion against his family's messy divorce.

 

Today, they are hanging out in the strawberry fields of Donghyuck's aunt's farm. An hour earlier he had handed Minhyung a small basket and showed him how to pluck and pick out good and sweet strawberries for them to eat later under the plum tree. 

 

("See the stem? Get the one that's turned up." 

 

"What?"

 

 " _Up!"_

 

 _"oh oh! Okay okay! I got it!_ ")

 

Minhyung struggles with the task but Donghyuck is patient, guides him through the process and smiles at him when Minhyung succeeds in picking one without slightly mangling it. Progress. He'll make a proper farmer yet.

 

It's a relatively cooler day, and Donghyuck is quite thankful for it. The city boy that Minhyung seems to be wouldn't have lasted an hour out in the fields had it been sweltering. _Small miracles_ , he thinks. Donghyuck has practically filled the small basket to bursting and sets it on the ground to gaze and the foreign boy. 

 

His dark hair seems to be growing out from terrible short cut bangs, the hair on his neck gently curling on itself. Minhyung liked to wear shirts one size larger and his pants only up until his ankles. Dongyhuck thinks that the city boy took special pride in his sock collection, never wearing the same pair in all the fourteen meetings (and counting) they've had over the past month.

 

But what Donghyuck especially likes about the boy, is how pure and honest he is. He's always been surrounded by people who have their own agenda and seeing someone looking for his company just for the sake of basking in his _shitty company..._ admittedly made Donghyuck's steel heart a bit squishy inside. He genuinely feels excited to wake up and meet in front of the town's bus stop to see if Minhyung wants to hang out for a while. It makes or breaks his day when Minhyung decides to visit the convenience store, even if he is wasting some the precious freeons that Donghyuck uses to keep cool. It's worth it.

 

Gently he taps Minhyung on the shoulder and motions for him to follow him to the plum tree so they could cool down from strawberry picking. _"Come with me,"_ Donghyuck tries in stilted English that makes Minhyung smile infectiously. " _Okay, Okay."_

 

Donghyuck turns away, blaming the flush on his cheeks on the sun bearing down on them both as he leads the way to their picnic site a dozen yards away. 

 

Minhyung helps him wash the fruits with water from the river while Donghyuck lays out the picnic basket he prepared earlier. Tries to convince himself, that this is just two friends, hanging out, under a plum tree eating strawberries. _It's not like you can engage in romantic conversation, idiot, you can barely engage in basic conversation at all,_  Donghyuck thinks furiously. 

 

"Where to put?" Minhyung asks, lifting the wet strawberries for Donghyuck to see. 

 

He motions to lay them down on the mat and sit down with him, which the foreign boy readily complies to. Donghyuck takes a strawberry from the basket and gives one for Minhyung to bite into. His face morphs into pure joy as he chews excitedly. " _It's really sweet!"_

 

Donghyuck laughs as he feeds him another one. Take that city boy, one more point for country boys right now. " _This tastes so good!_ It's delicious!" Minhyung says in a mix of korean and english. 

 

Taking out the whipped cream bottle from the basket, Donghyuck shakes it and puts a dollop on a small plate he brought with him. Carefully he motions for Minhyung to copy him as he dips the strawberry in the cream to eat it. " _I cook this,"_ Donghyuck says carefully. 

 

Minhyung looks at him in amazement. "Seriously? _Dude this is so good!"_ The boy takes two strawberries and dips them in the home made cream, gushing about the taste. Donghyuck hides his smile in his hands. _Minhyung was so cute and adorable, it was making his stomach sick._

 

They eat strawberries under the shade of the plum tree that afternoon, the silence peppered in with Minhyung's attempts to initiate a conversation in stilted korean trying to learn more about his newfound friend. In a rare bout of honesty, Donghyuck even answered some without his usual non-answers or deflections. Scarily enough, he was developing a soft spot for the english-speaking boy.

 

When Minhyuck asks where he lived, Donghyuck replies, " _here at the farm."_ He asks him if he's attending the international school two towns over, to which Donghyuck laughs. " _No I'm home school."_ Minhyung visibly deflates and Donghyuck pats his back consolingly. The poor boy must have thought that they could have been classmates. 

 

"How old are you?" Minhyung asks while helping Donghyuck pack away the fruits in the basket.

 

"Seventeen," he replies in korean.

 

Minhyung pumps his fist in the air, giving the farm boy a cheeky grin. " _That means I'm hyung right?!"_

 

Donghyuck finds out more about Minhyung as well. 

 

Discovers that his family moved here from Vancouver, Canada about two months ago and he'll be attending the International School two towns over in the fall. He has an older half-brother named Johnny whose going to attend  Seoul National University in the fall. Unlike him, Johnny speaks fluent korean. He's the one who has been helping Mark get better. He learns that Minhyung enjoys playing video games like Overwatch and even gets invited to come over and play at his house over the weekend and he's pretty good at rapping. They sing together a bit,  bonding over Donghyuck's badly pronounced Bruno Mars songs and Eminem's rap lyrics. 

 

"Hey Donghyuck?" Minhyung says later while they're laying about in the grass, the wind whipping their hair about messily. Donghyuck opens his eyes slowly, waking from a short nap that leaves his brain moving slowly as if wading through molasses.

 

"Yes?" 

 

" _I'm glad you said yes to being my friend, I've been really lonely for a while and you make everything so exciting now. I'm so happy I met you and came here to Korea."_

 

"What? I don't understand." 

 

Donghyuck turns to his side to gaze at the older boy more closely. In a rare burst of teenage courage he flicks him on the forehead. " _Speak in Korean, I don't understand_."

 

Minhyung laughs as he wraps an arm around Donghyuck, nuzzling their foreheads together in a noogie. Donghyuck is curious but reciprocates, giving him one of the best smiles that he could manage at the moment. "I thought you don't like skinship. Why are you doing this, you are giving me mixed signals. Is this a green light to ask for kisses and hugs now? Does this mean this was really a date? Does this mean you are possibly gay? Do I have a chance now or is this all me projecting my stupid teenage fantasies?" Donghyuck says quickly, face reddening in embarrassment. At least, he knows that Minhyung's korean level is too low for him to understand everything he said.

 

Minhyung laughs, " _I don't understand you, now its too fast."_

 

The tanned boy pouts and punches him lightly on the shoulder. " _What you say? Again please,"_ he tries to say in English. He still thinks it sounds wrong but as long as the message is clear, Donghyuck doesn't really give a shit at this point. 

 

 _"I said,_ Thank you, Donghyuck. _You're a really great friend._ "

 

 _"I'm best friend,"_  the country boy says cheekily. They're close enough that Donghyuck knows Minhyung can see the smattering of freckles across his face, and the moles littered around his cheeks. In turn, Donghyuck can count the lashes on Minhyung's eyelids. Close enough to touch but not quite.

 

Minhyung laughs. 

 

They spend the afternoon like this, together in a field full of strawberries. Wrapped in a bubble of their own little world. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well Donghyuck I wonder how long it might take for you to realize Minhyung's english name is mark huh? I'm excited for the fall out are you? 
> 
> Come say "I appreciate Lee Donghyuck's golden tan" or "Mark is an absolute marshmallow" over on twitter or in the comments below.


	3. in which, donghyuck lies over a toasty fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, i realize it's actually been a while since I last updated this story. Don't you all worry though I have every intention of finishing it. It's really about 80% done. I work two full time jobs at the moment and I write this when I'm not drowning in paperwork so I hope you don't mind it too much if I don't update very frequently. I just needed a break from writing this fic since it stressed me out and with the recent events that happened in December I just really wasn't in the mood to write or edit anything. 
> 
> I just wanted to say that to everyone who's reading this, you are worth being born and living in this world. You have a place in it, and you have a chance to say no to the things that hurt you and make you feel sad. and if you ever do feel lonely, or alone or isolated you can always talk to someone about it. You aren't alone.
> 
> Besides that, I just really want to thank everyone who has left a kudo or a comment on this. I honestly didn't think anybody would read this? It's really just very self-indulgent and I just wanted to you know share stuff with the community. Really guys, thanks so much. Also this is unbeta-ed and please do tell me if you spot any grammar mistakes or typos. hope you enjoy!

Quite frankly, Donghyuck is surprised he was able to keep his blossoming friendship with Minhyung a secret from his closest friends for so long.

 

I mean really, a month? Might as well have been a year with how difficult it is to get things past those three. Jaemin himself could smell a bullshit story a mile away. There are reasons Donghyuck is unable to keep secrets and one of those is a boy named Na Jaemin.

 

They catch up to the both of them one day after Minhyung spends an afternoon over at Donghyuck’s bedroom reading his trashy romance novels and taking turns playing on Minhyung’s Nintendo DS. He’s honestly halfway through the level in Super Mario Brothers when Jeno, who doesn’t even knock, enters his room with a loud announcement of, “Summer camp is over! Hyuck-ah can I borrow your history notes?” Typical. He’s exactly the same kind of asshole so it’s not like their apples fell too far from the tree.

 

Minhyung merely gapes at the three newcomers. Fingers hooked in between well-worn pages that have started to yellow slightly at the edges. Donghyuck sighs. “Nice of you to knock, Jeno.” He points to the unruly pile of notebooks at the far end of his study table. “It’s over there at the table, but don’t copy it alright? _Paraphrase_.”

 

Jeno nods. He makes a beeline for the table and starts to take picture notes with his phone.

 

“Sorry, but who are you?” Jaemin asks politely, looking at Minhyung as if he was an alien.

 

 I mean seriously? Donghyuck admits he isn’t exactly someone whose buddy buddy with everyone he knows but he can be civil. _Sometimes.  Maybe. If there was enough incentive to complete the socialization task._

“Lee Minhyung, Donghyuck’s friend.”

 

“Best friend.” Donghyuck corrects. Minhyung beams at him. “Best friend,” he reiterates, with Donghyuck’s full permission. He has already established that the absence of Lee Minhyung for the early years of his life has been a total waste of time, energy and resources by the universe. Who knew the other half of his poor, dark, soul, the yang to his yin was actually stuck in Canada? The fact that they’ve met just _now_ is a complete and utter _travesty._ Donghyuck has _words_ to tell the universe.

“Best friend? Donghyuck doesn’t make friends easily.”

 

“Hey!”

 

“No offense, but he’s really picky.”

 

“I resent that. I’m quite personable just…highly selective of my company.”

 

A glace over at Minhyung shows his straining smile. The one Donghyuck knows that he’s just trying to be polite, nodding his head at a slight inclination and mutters “yeah” as if it would hide the fact he didn’t understand a word they’ve said. Has Donghyuck mentioned how much he finds the boy adorable? Of course, being the saintly person that he is, or well not really, but he can hope, he decides to help the poor boy out. “Minhyung doesn’t speak korean that well yet. He’s still learning.” Donghyuck decides to look at everyone pointedly. “Speak English.”

 

Renjun, who is lying down on a moderately sized green bean bag at the other side of the wall turns and smiles. _“Hi Minhyung, I am Renjun. Nice to meet you.”_

 

Minhyung smiles and moves to shake his hand and bow at the same time. _“Nice to meet you too.”_

_“You speak any korean?”_

_“A little bit, I’m still not very good. Donghyuck’s teaching me.”_

Upon hearing his name, Donghyuck preens. “ _I teach not bad english. Good for farm boy eh?”_

Renjun, Jeno and Jaemin all laugh and decide to move closer to talk with him. They sit around in a half-circle at the foot of Donghyuck’s bed and decide to get to know each other. Donghyuck’s pretty happy that Renjun and Jaemin can speak pretty good English. He loathes to admit it but they speak it better than him. Minhyung feels at ease, smiling that really toothy grin and sharing stories in a mix of English and Korean. Jeno, listens quietly at the corner as he paraphrases his summer homework with righteous fury. The boy really shouldn’t have left it until the last minute.

 

“ _So how do you know each other? Isn’t Donghyuck homeschooled?”_

Renjun translates for Donghyuck causing all of them to laugh.

 

_“Was it something I said?”_

 

“ _Homeschooling is like a group of kids under one school program_ ,” Renjun explains, his toothy fang showing. Donghyuck likes it, makes him seem more human and less divine. He’s a pretty sweet guy with an equally as large sweet tooth. You didn’t hear that from him.

 

“ _We all classmates_ ,” Jeno says over the corner. “ _Which is why I can actually copy.._ ”

 

“Paraphrase,” Donghyuck interrupts testily.

 

“ _Paraphrase his homework_ ,” Jeno amends. “ _We’re all just a big group of friends. We even have PE together._ ”

 

“ _I feel left out now. I’m gonna attend the International School this Fall_.”

 

Jaemin offers Minhyung a big smile. “ _It’s alright. We can always hang out during the weekends. Just drop by Donghyuck’s house it’s spacious enough_.”

 

 Donghyuck, feeling a bit left out with all these big words he doesn’t quite understand yet, decides to intervene before he gets lost in the black hole of a foreign language he’s just recently picked up again. “Let’s play Bridge.”

 

Minhyung nods his head and they all move closer towards the stack of cards. Donghyuck patiently teaching him the rules, even offering to pair up with him against Renjun and Jaemin.

 

 

After an hour of playing Bridge with the deck of cards Donghyuck swiped from his aunt, their

stomachs start to rumble. Minhyung smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, his cheeks a nice pink color that makes the butterflies inside Donghyuck’s stomach move.

 

“You got any food?” Renjun asks him, neatly putting the cards back inside the well-worn box, the cover of it missing. Donghyuck nods. “I can make pancakes if you want.”

Jeno, having finished his essay and was lounging on the bed reading Donghyuck’s Cosmopolitans perks up. “I heard pancakes. Could we put some of the jam you and your aunt make?” He looks to Minhyung who seems confused. “ _Donghyuck and his family make jam. It’s delicious.”_

 

“I’d like some!” Minhyung exclaims.

 

Donghyuck stands up and dusts off his jeans before heading down the stairs into the kitchen, his friends following him. They crowd around the kitchen island leaving Donghyuck to putter about the cabinets getting the ingredients and utensils he needs. Shyly, Minhyung approaches him and taps his shoulder. “I want help cook.”

 

“I want to help you cook,” Donghyuck corrects patiently. Minhyung beams and repeats it back flawlessly. Smiling, Donghyuck motions for him to mix the flour and egg he’s already placed inside the mixing bowl. “ _Should I…whisk?”_

 

“ _Yes, whisk. You fast whisk.”_

Minhyung obeys. Donghyuck turns around to rummage at the upper cabinet, careful not to displace anything or else his cousin Taeyong would be upset. He carefully he gets the teflon pan and sets the oven to low heat. Peering over his shoulder he sees that Minhyung is just about done and shoos him away. “ _Go to Jeno, get jam from green food room.”_

“ _He means the storage room. It has a green door.”_ Jeno supplies helpfully, standing up and motioning the older boy to follow him. Minhyung nods and follows after the tall boy like a small chick. Donghyuck smiles, remembering his little nephew Jisung who was currently in town with his aunt. He decides to spend time with him later once his friends all leave. Shaking his head, Donghyuck returns to the task at hand and proceeds to make pancakes from the batter.

 

“I love how everything here is organic,” Jaemin says wistfully as he sets down plates on the dining table. “It’s like I can eat without worrying about whether the food’s been processed or has all those terrible chemicals I keep seeing in the news.” Donghyuck laughs.

 

Leave it to Jaemin to still be a mothering hen at seventeen. Then again, he really does love the boy’s care and attention to them all. He never forgets a birthday or a friendship event. Renjun, the sweet older hyung that he is, always has a handmade card ready for them with special messages from everyone. Jeno, despite him being pretty embarrassed to admit it, is usually the one who gets everyone together to make sure they all finish what they set out to do. It gets to Donghyuck a lot. At least, even with his prevalent parental issues he’s found a small family of his own with his friends. He’s never letting them go. People will have to fight him off tooth and nail. He’ll stab them with a pitchfork, he doesn’t live and work on a farm for nothing.

 

Donghyuck sets the mountain of pancakes on the table and grabs the homemade whipped cream from the refrigerator. It isn’t long until Jeno and Minhyung return from their small excursion, the former raising the bottles of strawberry and blueberry jam high in the air with a triumphant smirk. Minhyung merely sets the jar of honey down quietly before going to the cupboard to get serving knifes. He’s familiar with the kitchen, since he’s practically been hanging about here almost every day.

 

“Well, time to eat.” Donghyuck says ceremoniously and leans on the backrest to watch his friends dig in. He’s always liked cooking. It helps him destress especially after a long day out helping his aunt plant saplings or when he’s been battling his Calculus homework. He can still remember canned food dinners and cold soup when he was living with his mom. He’s never going back to that kind of life. The dull and cold apartment, the empty TV dinners and the long stretches of afternoon hours he spent alone. He’s happier here in the farm, even though he has a lot of chores he’s thankful to his aunt and cousin for taking him in.

 

 He feels a tap on his shoulder that frees him from his reverie. It’s Minhyung with his nice smile. “It’s delicious, Hyuck-ah.” Huh. His accent is getting better. Donghyuck would swear if he only stuck to the words he’s mastered no one would tell he didn’t live here all his life. “You should eat.”

 

“I feel full just watching you eat.”

 

“Not hungry?” Minhyung asks.

 

Donghyuck smiles, gives him a small nod. “Not hungry.”

 

Minhyung however shakes his head and places a single pancake on his plate. Looking closer there’s a hat made out of whipped cream and a nice smiley face, with strawberry dots as if its in a perpetual blush. “Eat one.”

 

“Okay.” Donghyuck digs in. He likes the feeling that’s currently making a home for itself deep in his chest like a little mole animal and his lungs are its little hiding places. He treasures it.  He likes feeling that he isn’t alone, knowing that someone cared to look at him just a little bit more than usual.

 

It doesn’t help his growing affections for Minhyung but it’s too late anyways.

 

 

\--

 

As with all good things, summer has to eventually come to an end. Now Donghyuck doesn’t really like dwelling on things too much. Been there done that, it was a nasty well to fall into. One filled with slowly filling water that’d enter your lungs until you can’t breathe. Even now, he isn’t totally convinced he’s actually freed himself or if he just grew gills and learned to live with it.

 

He likes having more free time to himself now that his part-time job at the convenience store has come to an end. The downside though is that Minhyung has after-school club activities that he’s joined so they don’t see each other as much as they used to on the weekdays. Going from seeing each other almost every day for two and half months to just about a day in a week is a pretty jarring experience.

 

 Unfortunately, Donghyuck isn’t exactly loaded. Even though he does visit Minhyung after school sometimes just to surprise him or hang out with him on Fridays doesn’t mean that he can take the bus to go to the city to see him everyday. Eventually they just meet up on weekends, Minhyung sleeping over at the Lee Farm more often than not. Thankfully both of their families were okay with this arrangement, Donghyuck has actually met Minhyung’s mom before and she seems like a wonderful woman although Minhyung takes after his dad more. His stepbrother Johnny seems to be a pretty easy going guy. He even helped out with the harvest before he went to Seoul to attend university. Minhyung has told him he misses him often.

 

Donghyuck’s definitely happy though. He’s happy that he’s become best friends with Lee Minhyung. Even though he finds that he’s too optimistic, and has a tendency to overreact to things—they are qualities that he finds quite alright.

 

Lately, the older boy has been pestering him about getting a cell phone so they can use Kakao Talk there but Donghyuck doesn’t want a small, rectangular box to eat away at his life. Even if it does mean that he’ll get to talk to his best friend slash love interest more. Besides, it’s not like getting a phone is in the family’s budget. He’d rather save the cash into helping his aunt with any unforseen expenses around the farm. Minhyung would just have to settle for the landline and scheduled visits. Donghyuck likes to think it helps the older boy be on time more. He sure isn’t going to wait for someone who is late.

 

So here they are, pants carefully rolled up to their knees and stomping on berries Donghyuck spent the early morning collecting. It’s a pretty cloudy afternoon, a perfect time to make jam especially since it’s not too hot out. He has actually decided to teach the older boy how to make blueberry jam today. He even gave the customary lengthy spiel in broken english about how it was a huge family secret passed on for generations and he better keep it to his grave. The boy had nodded quickly and crossed over his heart. Adorable. Donghyuck is in love.

 

“ _I didn’t actually think it was going to be this sticky.”_

“If you have time to talk, keep stomping,” Donghyuck says in perfectly good korean. Without looking, he nudges the boy’s foot with his own. Minhyung keeps stomping. He got the memo. “ _It’s fun though_!” He amends. Donghyuck huffs.

 

 

 

 

Minhyung’s korean has actually improved with all those after school lessons he attends. He was actually pretty talkative now that Donghyuck thinks about it. He didn’t notice it as much at first because they could barely understand each other at the start. But hey, look at them now. Hanging out in the form stomping on berries.

 

The older boy likes to tell Donghyuck about his life in Canada, now that he can talk about it in passable korean. Donghyuck listens to him attentively, soaking it all up. Autumns in Vancouver, going christmas carolling during the winter. He even stores the memory of Minhyung accidentally dropping the family turkey on Thanksgiving and they all went to eat out at a restaurant instead inside his brain. He’s happy he gets to know this part of his life he wasn’t a part of. It feels nice.

 

He notices the older boy starting tire and just as he’s about to tell him that he can take a break Minhyung slips. Thankfully, he manages to catch him anyways. They hold hands, fingers locked purely under the pretense of making sure they are kept in balance of course but it still feels nice. The older boy’s hands are clammy but soft unlike Donghyuck’s whose hands are rough and calloused after all the hard work he puts in at the farm. It doesn’t matter though, because Donghyuck, average farm boy living in rural jeju is holding hands with his soul mate. Life is good.

 

“Tell me stories about your childhood before living here,” Minhyung asks in halting korean, pausing at the last word as if he was unsure if he chose the correct one.  

 

Donghyuck gulps. He wonders what part he can actually say. Does he talk about the long stretches of time he spent alone? The cold TV dinners with his mother and how his father stopped living with them when he was nine? How up until now, he can’t seem to bear the thought of eating canned food and hates eating at fast food joints? How he resents his parents for forgetting about him entirely? How they sent his birthday present during christmas since they actually forgot when his real birthday was?

 

“Donghyuck?”

 

Donghyuck shakes his head. “It’s not very happy.”

 

“Oh,” Minhyung says. His eyes wide open like golden saucers and Donghyuck feels _bad_ about not being eloquent or as in touch with his feelings to actually talk about it like, well, someone who isn’t exactly a child _child._ Does that even make sense?

 

“Do you…” Donghyuck begins tentatively. He’s taking a risk with this, he knows. Minhyung might never look at him the same again but oh how he wants the other to know about him. To tell someone how he feels so lonely all the time before they met. How angry he was when his actual family left him here with relatives and went on to live their own goddamn lives. How frustrated he is by how stuck he feels all the time in this farm.  “Do you still want to know?”

 

Minhyung, as if sensing the gravity of the situation merely grips Donghyuck’s hands tighter. _I’m not gonna let go_ , it says. Donghyuck squeezes back. He takes a leap of faith.

 

“My parents… they left me here after they divorced when I was ten.” Breathe. In and out. In and out. Better. “My aunt took me in. My mom said she would come back for me.” Donghyuck pauses, gathering himself. “She…never did.”

 

“ _I’m sorry to hear that.”_

“Why are you sorry? It didn’t happen to you.” Donghyuck doesn’t understand this about westerners and their being sorry for something they shouldn’t be sorry about. Was Minhyung the cause of his parent’s separation? No. Therefore, he really had no need to apologize. It is what it is. All that’s left is to live with it.

 

“ _Well, how do I explain this…It must have really sucked.”_

“It does. I was angry for a long time.” Donghyuck opens up quietly. “ _I was nightmare in middle school. Bad days everyday.”_

 

Donghyuck looks up, seeing Minhyung’s engrossed in listening to him makes him feel less lonely somehow. It feels nice. “I’m better now. Still angry but not as bad. Taeyong-hyung, my cousin helped me get better.”

 

Minhyung nods understandlingly. Holds him close and embraces him. He feels taken aback by this. He never actually realized that the boy with the terrible haircut grew up to have such broad and sturdy shoulders. It suits him, Donghyuck thinks. _“Thank you for sharing this with me,”_ Minhyung whispers quietly.

 

Donghyuck has to bite his lower lip so he doesn’t cry. He hasn’t been held like this for so long he’s forgotten what it feels like.  It feels nice and wonderful. He hugs back. He doesn’t know when he’ll have a chance like this again. Lee Minhyung was much too nice for Donghyuck’s poor heart. He wasn’t doing anything to mitigate the growing, cancerous crush the size of James’ giant peach on the older boy. He buries his face in the older boy’s shoulder. He feels less alone in this large, scary world.

 

They stand like this for a long while locked in each other’s embrace seeking comfort with each other. Donghyuck comes to realize several important things. The first is, he’s glad that he met Lee Minhyung and that they are such good friends. The second thing he realizes is that in his own special way, he’s fallen in love with him and doesn’t exactly mind it one bit.  He hopes that even with their feet sticky with freshly picked blueberries crushed underfoot, the sweet smell lingering in the air on a nice cloudly afternoon he’ll get more chances to spend with him.

 

\--

 

 

It’s after an afternoon well-spent at the PC Bang does Jaemin bring up the topic of Donghyuck’s imaginary boyfriend again. The snake. They were sitting in front of the river eating ice cream when the boy had decided to attack him with _questions_.

 

“So, you haven’t exactly told us much about your boyfriend.”

 

“Boyfriend?” Donghyuck asks uncomprehendingly. Thankfully, Jaemin thinks that he was just trying to act coy and dodge him. Good thing Donghyuck can think quick on his feet.

 

“Don’t act oblivious it doesn’t suit you.” Jaemin says, his eyes narrowing down into small slits. Snake-like, indeed. Donghyuck will not be moved. He’s going to lie like a professional if it damn well kills him. He can only imagine how much shit he’s going to be into if he has to see his friend’s smug face knowing that he didn’t actually have one.

 

“Why do you want to know so much?”

 

“ _Because,_ you never open up about him.”

 

“I don’t open up about him because it’s none of your business,” Donghyuck rebutts.

 

“Donghyuckie you know me. I’m not gonna shut up about this until you spill.”

 

Silence. Silence is the only way to get out of this, Donghyuck thinks furiously. Also not making eye contact with the enemy. He can still get out of this relatively unscathed. Probably.

 

“Fine, I wasn’t going to do this but if you don’t tell me about him I’ll tell Minhyung-hyung all about the time last year you joined the town pageant dressed as Dorothy of Oz pretending to be your second cousin and actually won. I still have pictures—”

 

“You wouldn’t dare.” Donghyuck eyes Na Jaemin. The boy merely smiles serenely and attaches the photo to the group chat they apparently have. Damn Donghyuck for not actually having a phone. He regrets it now. “Delete that!”

 

“Nuh uh. Not until you tell me about your online boyfriend.”

 

Donghyuck sighs. He gives in. One does not cross Na Jaemin and live with their dignity intact apparently. Great. Now he has to lie _more. What joy._ “What do you want to know?”

 

Jaemin preens. “How did you meet?”

 

“We met while playing Overwatch online.”

 

Jaemin shakes his head. “I know _that_. I wanna know how you, you know—”

 

“That’s the thing Jaemin, I don’t know.” The older boy levels him a _look._ He feels as miffed as he is thoroughly chastised. Nothing to do but suck it up apparently.

 

“I want to know the details. Like, did he ask you to be his boyfriend? How did you guys fall in love?”

 

Donghyuck startles. Okay, this is escalating quickly. “First off, I didn’t say anything about love. Don’t misunderstand me. This arrangement with…”

 

“Mark,” Jaemin supplies helpfully. Which, thank god, because Donghyuck did actually forget his imaginary boyfriend’s name.

 

“Mark…is purely just for fun,” Donghyuck gulps. “I think.”

 

“You think?”

 

“Yeah, I mean we okay, we bonded about how playing Overwatch was like a way for us to escape real life you know? It made us feel less lonely and it felt really nice that someone was actually listening to me instead of berating me for doing stupid shit for once.” A pause. “I sound stupid.”

 

“It doesn’t sound stupid.”

 

Donghyuck buries his face in his hands. Half from embarrassment and the other with how this grilling session suddenly got so real so fast it’s like an Oprah episode. _So how did you feel about that, Hyuckie?_  Okay, just the mental imagery enough can cripple.  “I guess I started to like him from there.”

 

Jaemin pats him soothingly on the back. “I never thought you felt that way Donghyuckie.I mean, you never talk about it.”

 

“Well, it’s not exactly an easy thing to talk about with me. I’m defensive, prickly and wishy-washy.” He does admit to being a boy full of faults. Like a rock quarry the size of the grand canyon. Okay maybe not the grand canyon, but a sizeable amount. His abandonment issues alone could actually fill the pages of a book.

 

“He seems like a nice guy. Did he help you come to terms with being well…you know…gay?”

 

“Not exactly, I came to terms with that way back,” Donghyuck recalls the tumultuous middle school years with a violent shudder. Terrible times. “ It felt nice knowing someone likes _me?”_

 

“Do you want it to be a serious thing with Mark?” Jaemin asks quietly as he strokes the farm boy’s hair in slow measured carresses.

 

Donghyuck sighs. “I dunno. It’s not very serious at all. I just like the feeling that someone thinks I’m cool and attractive. I think he knows it too you know? That I’m not as into him. This is probably all the wrong reasons to start a relationship on but…” he trails off. Not knowing why he’s suddenly opening up about his deep, dark anxieties and projecting his needs from a lie he’s conjured up about. Donghyuck feels a strong urge to just raise the white flag and confess. He crushes It under a proverbial heel. He’s not going to surrender so easily.

 

“I think, it’s quite normal for us to seek attention and affection Donghyuckie. I’ll be lying if I said that I don’t have the same needs. We all do.”

 

Jaemin cradles the boy’s face in between his hands. “I just want you to know that you don’t need to get a boyfriend just to feel loved and accepted. I love you, granted its not…well romantic in any sense but if what you’re looking for is acceptance and eating cheap ice cream and just vibing, you just have to talk to me you know?”

 

“I know you’ll always listen,” Dongyhuck says quietly.

 

Jaemin smiles. Donghyuck thinks he always has a nice smile. It felt like everything was going to be alright somehow, reassuring in these tumultuos times. “Are you gonna break up with him?”

 

“Let me think about it.”

 

“Okay.”

 

 

\--

 

 

The matter is left buried for a solid month until its brought up by Renjun during one of their weekend getaways. This time they have all gone to the lake beside the old camping grounds.

 

Donghyuck had been thoroughly enjoying himself. He swam all day in clear, pristine water and now he’s cooking marshmallows over a bonfire wrapped up in a nice, thick blanket burrito wearing a parka that actually kept the chill away from seeping into his bones. It was otherwise a _perfect day_.

 

Naturally, something has to ruin it.

 

“So Donghyuck, how are you and your boyfriend?”

 

He splutters. The sound of the metal teapot they had brought falling on the ground echoes alongside Minhyung’s loudly exclaimed, “ _you have a boyfriend?!”_ The incredulity of it all actually has Donghyuck a bit miffed. First of all, rude. Donghyuck is perfectly capable of having a boyfriend thank you very much. He just has to figure out how to actually well, you know, get one instead of lying about it to his closest friends. God, was this an actual nightmare.

 

“Dude, has he seriously not told you yet?” Jeno asks, surprised. “I thought you were best friends?”

 

“yeah, well I thought so too..” Minhyung mutters under his breath. Donghyuck actually feels really guilty about well not telling him but his perfectly good and sane reason for that is actually because he didn’t want to lie to him. Now, he has too just so he can save face. At this point, Donghyuck is strongly reconsidering just giving up and confessing about his lie but he doesn’t exactly want to deal with the fallout that would entail. No thank you. He still wants to be able to look at these people in the face and well, not have to find new friends or move to a different city.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” Donghyuck said quietly. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to lie to you, is what he wants to say. But of course he doesn’t say that. Instead, he lies. Again. “It’s not very serious and well, I haven’t actually told him what I told you guys over the summer.” He exclaims the last part pointedly.

 

Jeno and Renjun seem equally chastised. “Sorry, I thought you already told him about it.”

 

“I haven’t actually gotten to that part yet.”

 

“What part?” Minhyung asks.

 

“Are you gonna tell him?” Jaemin asks before he munches on his smore. Donghyuck sighs. He hadn’t actually expected to tell Minhyung about his sexuality. Like, at all. He isn’t exactly ready for a rejection. He wasn’t even actually going to confess. All he had wanted to do was maybe engage in some healthy fantasies safely within the corners of his brain.

 

“Not like I have a choice now do I?”

 

“ _Tell me what?_ ” Minhyung, now annoyed says in english.

 

Donghyuck looks at him and says the next sentence with as much courage as he can. “I’m gay.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Donghyuck blinks. He looks at Minhyung once more. He blinks again. What?

 

“I’m sorry did you not hear what I said?”

 

“I did. I don’t understand whats the problem?”

 

“So you’re cool with it?”

 

Minhyung just shrugs and gives him a small smile. “What does liking boys mean that you’re a terrble best friend?”

 

“No.”

 

“So I don’t understand why you seem so flustered with it then.”

 

“I honestly expected more backlash and less…” he turns his head to see the rest of the boys’ equally surprised faces. “Acceptance.”

 

Minhyung sighs and wraps him in a side hug that Donghyuck would swear to all the heavens made him melt like his marshmallow. This boy was a dangerous fiend. “ _I lived in Canada Hyuck, its okay. Being gay doesn’t change anything between us. I’m still your your best friend._ ”

 

“ _Okay, that is so mushy,”_ Donghyuck says to hide how embarrassed and pleased he actually feels.

_“Shhh,we were having an actual moment.”_

Jeno clears his throat loudly. “If we’re all just about done with being mushy, can we actually get to the part where we grill you about your boyfriend now? I mean out of all of us only Jaemin knows _anything_ but he’s _Jaemin_.” That statement is in fact, something that can stand by itself. Na Jaemin is one boy that could keep a secret to his grave even. Donghyuck rewards loyalty with homemade jam. He makes a mental note to give him some extra blueberry jam the next time he drops by the farm.

 

“How long have you been dating anyways?” Renjun asks from his place next to Jeno.

 

Donghyuck sighs. Great. Just great. More lying. If he had actually stopped to think about how much lying he had to do to keep this ruse, he never would have lied in the first place. He perpetually feels like he’s sinking in quicksand only there’s no Han Solo to rescue his Princess Leia. “A few months,” Donghyuck mutters quietly. Makes sure to keep his answers curt. One question, one answer. He can get through this no problem.

 

“Okay I need to know more about this guy,” Minhyung mutters darkly. Donghyuck tries not to read into it too much. _Stop projecting,_ he thinks furiously.  Just because he accepts you doesn’t mean he’s gay. He’s just Minhyung. The older guy who is apparently the equivalent to my long lost soulmate. Keep it together Lee Donghyuck. “What do you want to know?”

 

“ _As much as you can fit in one breath,_ ” Minhyung mutters testily. Jaemin elbows him in the side causing the older boy to yelp. Chastised he amends it to, “just tell me about him?”

 

“He’s eighteen. He has black hair. He plays D.Va and Tracer on Overwatch. We bonded because we were lonely and well I’m not sure if he’s entirely gay or if he’s bisexual or whatever but the point is one day he asked me if I wanted to try having an online relationship and I well, stupidly said yes.”

 

Mark nods, looking not entirely pleased with the turn of events but trying to school his face into what he thinks is a diplomatic expression. Donghyuck tries to convince himself he’s just projecting feelings of jealousy. The older boy asks, “What’s his name?”

 

 Donghyuck looks at Minhyung’s face, wills himself to look at him straight in the eye. “His name is Mark and he supposedly lives in Canada.”

 

He watches the boy look surprised and sort of sheepish about the news. “His name is Mark?”

Donghyuck looks away.

 

“That’s what he told me. He might as well be a catfisher or whatever. It’s nothing serious. We just go online and play and play-flirt with each other. It’s not like I’m going to actually meet him.” Donghyuck replies nonchalantly. Of course he’s never going to meet him. He’s a figment of his imagination that’s why. What he doesn’t understand is why he suddenly feels like his shoulders are so heavy and his stomach gnaws at him. “His name is Mark. He’s from Canada,” he finishes lamely.

 

“I don’t understand, why would you want to have an online boyfriend anyway?” Minhyung asks him after a several questions. His seagull eye brows knitting themselves closer together.

 

“Oh I dunno, hyung, it’s not like everybody here my age in Korea is open about being gay or anything. Like its totally fine that I like boys and people here would openly accept me for it.” Donghyuck replies sarcastically. He doesn’t understand why he’s being so sensitive about this but he is and it irritates him and being with the others irritate him as well. His stomach continues to twist itself into knots.

 

“Okay, chill out Hyuck we’re just ribbing you. No need to get angry.” Jeno says placatingly hands up in surrender.

 

“We were just curious, “ Renjun adds with a small smile. “You never really talk about him much.”

 

Donghyuck huffs. “Because there isn’t much to talk about at all! I’m not stupid alright? I don’t send him nudes and he doesn’t send me any either. If anything it’s just plain o’l innocent flirting.”

 

“I’m just surprised we have the same name,” Minhyung says, sticking several marshmallows through his stick agressively.

 

“I’m not following.” Jaemin says. “You mean you have an English name?”

 

“Yeah, I mean every korean person who lives abroad has one. Even my stepbrother. You do know his actual birth name is Seo Youngho right? But everybody calls him Johnny Seo there.” Minhyung explains.

 

 There are many things about westerners that Donghyuck doesn’t exactly understand. The fact that they need to give Asians english names is one of them. Can’t they learn how to say their names properly? Hell, he can say Angelina Jolie’s name just fine. They don’t actually give him a Korean name.

 

“So you have an english name too?” Renjun asks while munching on his marshmallow smores. Minhyung merely nods. “Yeah, it’s Mark Lee.”

 

Donghyuck’s brain suddenly stops, his thoughts sceeching like car tires on asphalted pavement.. Lee Minhyung’s name is Mark. Mark Lee. Mark from Canada. He needs a moment. Several moments. _Shit._

 

He wonders if this is the universe’s cruel idea of a joke. That Lee Minhyung, the boy Donghyuck has secretly been into all this time, with his seagull eyebrows and boyish cackle. The boy with the enviable stonewash Levi jeans and the harry potter glasses who in all rights and purposes matches every single letter of the type of guy Lee Donghyuck has described and idealized when he lied about using a fictitious boyfriend actually exists. He actually exists.

 

“If I didn’t know any better,” Jaemin adds slyly. “I’d think the boy Donghyuck was describing is you hyung.”

 

Of course, Jaemin has to be the first one to piece the pieces of the puzzle together. But Donghyuck isn’t going to budge. He’s going to see this through to the bitter end.

 

“Can’t be, he met Mark way before he met me. It’s too much of a coincidence right?” Minhyung replies back reasonably.

 

Donghyuck stays silent and eats his marshmallows vicously trying to keep his cool when inside he’s all but panicking. When he had lied about Mark from Canada, he didn’t actually think the boy really existed. When he developed an innocent crush on bumbling Lee Minhyung he had noticed that he was exactly the type of boy he wished so desperately was into him the same way.

 

He knows he’s just made a grievous error. The details he had actually talked about was really just him describing the things he knows and likes about Minhyung—Mark—whatever. Okay, maybe not whatever. Donghyuck sighs.

 

This just got a whole lot more complicated.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a kudo or a comment! Come say "Donghyuck has a "boyfriend" who lives in Canada" over to me at twitter: [kokuchim](Http://www.twitter.com/kokuchim)


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